BC Business
Nominations for the 2023 Student Entrepreneur National competition are due November 30.
Among the 99 things that are often wasted on the young, good opportunities are not one. Cue the 2023 Student Entrepreneur National Competition.
Toronto-based social nonprofit Enactus Canada has been organizing this competition for young business leaders enrolled in Canadian post-secondary institutions since 1997, with this year’s being presented by HSBC Bank Canada. Nominations are open until November 30, after which nominees can apply for the contest by January 9, 2023.
The first round will see candidates prepare a written pitch about their business, from which the judges will pick 12 finalists to participate at the Enactus Canada National Exposition. There, finalists will showcase their ventures, network and compete for $10,000. The runner-up and second runner-up will qualify for $4,000 and $2,000 respectively.
To be eligible, applicants need to have founded a company that they own at least 25 percent of (with no other parties having greater equity) in addition to being a registered student at a national university or college. They also need to be the go-to person for business operations.
Past competitions have seen healthcare startup VitalTracer’s Azadeh Dastmalchi (from University of Ottawa) and clothing brand EastCoast Lifestyle’s Alex MacLean (from Acadia University) go home with $10,000. MacLean’s clothes have even made it onto the backs of Sidney Crosby and Ed Sheeran.
Last year, Enactus Canada student entrepreneurs and their businesses generated upwards of $4 million in revenue and employed 180 people across the nation. “This is an incredible opportunity for student entrepreneurs to gain exposure and funding for their businesses,” Allyson Hewitt, president of Enactus Canada, said in a release.
Click here to nominate a student entrepreneur by November 30, 2022.